Every household should have an emergency kit tucked into a cupboard in case of a power outage. Your kit should contain:

• Flashlight and batteries (change them periodically)
• Battery-powered radio and extra batteries (change batteries periodically — even unused batteries lose power over time)
• Manual can opener
• Battery-powered or wind-up alarm clock

Other handy items to have:

• Bottled water
• Sanitary water containers (if you rely on electricity to pump water)
• Thermos
• Disposable plates and utensils
• Extra blankets or sleeping bags

You can purchase disaster supply kits in a variety of sizes at the American Red Cross online store.